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"The Germans can't pronounce it," Jukebox the Ghost say of their name, which they admit "is impossible to say." The trio came together while attending George Washington University in D.C. when the drummer and keyboardist responded to a flyer the guitarist had put up in the school's music department. In their own words, "It was musical love at first sight." They initially performed under the name The Sunday Mail, but after a few years the band decided that a new identity was in order. Creating a sound full of fresh-faced indie-pop goodness, Jukebox the Ghost have found themselves often compared to the likes of They Might Be Giants and Ben Folds, with whom they toured in 2009.
San Diego's Greg Laswell released his fifth studio album, Landline, this April on Vanguard. Laswell has been recording as a solo artist since 2003. His
previous project, a band called Shilglen, enjoyed moderate success at the turn of the centruy. After taking a mutually agreed upon break in 2001, the
band decided not to regroup. Laswell's music features an equal balance of electric and acoustic guitar; his songwriting is at times almost bluesy or mournful and at other times his sound takes a more pop direction.
A Member Appreciation Free At Noon Triple-Header
FEATURING - GLEN HANSARD, ARTIST TO WATCH MICHAEL KIWANUKA, AND MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER!
Listen to this week's Live Friday Free At Noon and other Live Shows in the
Concert Archive
Five time Grammy award winner and Princeton, NJ native Mary Chapin Carpenter has been producing country/folk/rock standards for nearly 25 years. She has earned fans and accolades for her ten studio albums and countless live performances. Carpenter grew up on the likes of The Mamas & the Papas and Judy Collins. After graduating from Brown in 1981, Carpenter decided to keep music as a hobby and focus on a career. That changed quickly after a few job interviews, and was signed to a deal with Columbia a short while afterwards.
Having already found success as the vocalist/guitarist for the Irish band The Frames and as half of the folk rock duo The Swell Season, musician Glen Hansard is venturing out as a solo artist. His debut album, Rhythm and Repose, is slated for a June 19th American release on the ANTI record label. The album, Hansard's first since The Swell Season's 2009 Strict Joy, was recorded over the past year and a half in New York City. 
Although Michael Kiwanuka, born to Ugandan parents in North London, first started out in music as a session guitarist, it is his soulful voice and emotional songwriting that have made him one of Britain's up and coming singer-songwriters. His voice and style tap into vibes reminiscent of artists like Bill Withers and Otis Redding, the later whom Kiwanuka credits along with Bob Dylan as inspiring his folk-inflected soul music. After spending time recording guitar for rap and R&B acts and doing some small jam shows, Kiwanuka realized he had much more to express in musically and decided to try his hand at songwriting. When friends fell in love with his demo tapes, Kiwanuka realized he had found his calling.
Shawn's new album and memoir are due out June 5. She plays a full show at World Cafe Live on June 30, and will be here for an XPN Free At Noon on June 8!
The six-piece, Nashville based Kopecky Family Band play MilkBoy Philly on Friday night June 1 and they'll be the same day for an XPN Free At Noon!
Grammy Award winner Rodney Crowell and New York Times Best Selling author Mary Karr are scheduled to release Kin: Songs of Mary Karr & Rodney Crowell
on Vanguard Records on June 5, 2012. Produced by Joe Henry, KIN marks the first collaboration between the two writers and is Karr's entry into the world of music.
A twenty-plus piece choral rock band, The Polyphonic Spree return to Philly to play the TLA on Friday night, May 25, and will be here that afternoon for an XPN Free At Noon!
Finishing out this Live Friday perfomance is another XPN favorite, the fabulously invigorating folk collective Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Breaking out in 2009, riding the strength of their catchy single 'Home', the currently 11-person outfit revolves around vocalist Alex Ebert. Ebert started ES and the MZ after creating a fictional, messianic character named Edward Sharpe while dealing with addiction and life changes. The result is mesmerizing--from their school bus converted to a tour bus, back-porch and improvised acoustics, and big communal folk sound, ES and the MZ has quickly become something of a worldwide sensation. Their sound calls to mind influences such as Polyphonic Spree and Bob Marley, but it's hard to pin a single genre on their psychedelic rocking bluegrass-y neo-folk.
ES and the MZ are on the cusp of releasing their follow-up to their breakout album, 2009's "Up from Below". Fresh off appearances with Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show, ES and the MZ played the new release, entitled "Here", in Santa Monica in April. It doesn't disappoint--"Here" is a product of a group that know how to collaborate, how to live together, and how to share a musical, utopian vision in the most believeable of ways. From the quiet whistling in "All Wash Out" to the energizing, rock-based "Man on Fire", this is an album that will help solidify ES and the MS' appeal.
Don't miss out on this special Free at Noon performance--three great artists in two locations. What better way to start the weekend?
Free At Noon Setlist
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Archived Concert
1. I Don’t Wanna Pray
2. 40 Day Dream
3. Fiya Wata
4. Man On Fire
5. Child
6. Home
Website: edwardsharpeandthemagneticzeros.com/
MySpace: myspace.com/edwardsharpe
Facebook: facebook.com/themagneticzeros
Recent Release: Here
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Label: Rough Trade Records
Origin: Los Angeles, CA
Spirtualized is the neo-psychedelic outfit with Jason Pierce (J. Spaceman) at the center. Formed out of the ashes of Pierce's previous group, Spaceman 3, Spiritualized has been creating grand, lush panoramas of space rock, deeply influenced by soul, gospel, and all things Velvet Underground. Following a dramatic initial release in 1990, Spiritualized has since gone through numerous line-up changes, released seven full-lengths that evince an evolving sound (think perhaps shoegaze to blues to pop), and pushed the boundaries of live performance. Pierce has done everything from shooting a video on an erupting volcano to performing 114 stories in the air to sharing a stage with Depeche Mode.
Free At Noon Setlist
Spiritualized will be archived at NPR.org/Music
1. Hey Jane
2. Mary
3. Lord Let It Rain On Me
4. I Am What I Am
5. Come Together
Website: spiritualized.com/
Myspace: myspace.com/spiritualized
Facebook: facebook.com/Spiritualized
Recent Release: Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Label: Double Six Records
Hometown: Rugby, England
One of our favorites in this triple-header is long-time XPN listener favorite, folk songstress Dar Williams. Dar Williams will play XPN's Free At Noon at World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington at 12:30pm.
Free At Noon Setlist
Dar Williams Performance will be available here
1. The Light and the Sea
2. I Am the One Who Will Remember Everything
3. You Will Ride With Me Tonight
4. Babysitter
5. Are You Out There
6. I Have Been Around the World
Website: darwilliams.com/
Myspace: myspace.com/darwilliams
Facebook: facebook.com/DarWilliamsOfficial
Recent Release: In the Time of Gods
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Label: Razor & Ties
Hometown: Mount Kisco, NY
The Walkmen's sound has been compared to The Strokes, and called "Bob Dylan meets the Velvet Underground" by NPR. Their rock is characterized by its simplicity-- energetic, repetitive guitar hooks, driving drums, and of course, the voice of front man, Hamilton Leithauser, who seems to bellow, howl and croon simultaneously. They've released six albums, including a cover album of Harry Nilsson and John Lennon's "Pussy Cats" in its entirety. The Walkmen return to Philly with the upcoming release of their seventh album approaching to play an XPN Free At Noon at World Cafe Live on Friday, May 4. The Walkmen will tour this summer in support of the album, Heaven including a string of shows with Florence and the Machine.
Well known as ambassadors of reggae, Third World is a Jamaican outfit that came together in the 1970s and has since become something of an institution. They've had 35 years of experience. Despite several line-up changes over the years, their sound has remained just as fresh and inspiring over the decades. Incorporating Jamaican folk music as well as pop, R&B, rap, soul, and classical music influences, Third World has changed the face of reggae.
The band received rave reviews at SXSW this year; they also played the XPN Radio Day Stage from SXSW
With just his guitar and his voice, Bay Area by way of Mississippi songwriter John Murry played an emotional, powerful set Wednesday...Read More
Portland retro group Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside showed the Non-COMM crowd its rockability in a feisty set that closed out...Read More
Quirky upstate New York four-piece Foxygen got crazy in a late-night Non-COMM set yesterday that blended Doors-esque poppy psychedelia...Read More
Slide guitar wizard and XPN favorite Robert Randolph got the downstairs crowd at World Cafe Live dancing in his Non-COMM set....Read More
Local thrash / metal band Surgeon has been readying its long-in-the-making new full-length Chemical Reign for the past couple years...Read More
